A recent study concludes that some NSAIDs (most notably ibuprofen) may protect against Alzheimer's disease. Compared with no NSAID use, the adjusted odds ratios for AD among ibuprofen users decreased from 1.03 (1.00-1.06) to 0.56 (0.42-0.75) for >5 years of use (0.68-0.85).

Ibuprofen is believed to work through inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX, PTGS2), thus inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis.